> No, Darudism. Not Daruda. A draconic motif was never in doubt - but
>the question I was asking was essentially how do you distinguish Darudism
>in practice from mysticism with all the mystic entities renamed as dragons?
This is a very good question. There must be some aspects of draconic mysticism, common to both the EWF and Darudan traditions that mark them as being Draconic, as against other non-draconic forms of mysticism.
Orthodox non-draconic mysticism seems to me to be all about transcending reality and ascending to a state of enlightenment. It seems to me that this is a very personal and individualistic philosophy. Yes, advanced orthodox mystics might choose to extend their time in the world to help others, but they are helping these others purely out of altruism. They don't need to do it and it's not essential to their personal transcendence.
We know that the EWF wanted to awake a huge dragon based on the geography of their territory. The empire itself would be part of the dragon being, which would awaken and ascend into the heavens. The Kralorelans believe that when they die they wait in the otherworld for their Emperor to exit the physical world and then they all transcend together. In both cases (EWF and Darudist) they see themselves transcending as a whole, not as individuals. The souls of deceased Kralorelans somehow forms a copy, or image of Kralorela in the otherworld until it is almost complete, lacking only the Emperor.
Perhaps the defining characteristic of Draconic mysticism is the integration of individuals into a transcended draconic whole. The Emperor and the Exarchs can manifest as dragons. Manifesting would not make them any less draconic, but it would make them more individually draconic. What they rely want is to integrate as part of the greater empire-dragon in the otherworld, and then transcend en-mass to unity with the cosmic draconic consciousness.
This is quite distinct from orthodox mysticism, in which you transcend as an individual, but help each other out along the way.
I have absolutely no idea how this might fit in with Dragonewt behaviour. Perhaps there are secrets about Dragonewt mysticism that would make this plain. Perhaps the Dragonewts do spiritually integrate themselves in the person of the Inhuman King, who is their analog of the Emperor in Kralorela. Pass.
Simon Hibbs
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